Flanker Gibson leaves Northampton Saints

The Northampton Saints have announced that Jamie Gibson is leaving the club. The Flanker will move on from Franklin’s Gardens when his current contract expires on June 30.

The 29-year-old came from Leicester Tigers in 2015 and made 125 appearances for the Saints.

Gibson, who started his career at London Irish, said he was exploring a number of new opportunities “both inside and outside of rugby”.

“I spent a couple of fantastic seasons in Franklin’s Gardens after driving the M1,” Gibson said.

“I am very proud to have represented Northampton so many times and to have won silver with the team last season.

“Before the pandemic, the club and I had talked about the future, but understandably the circumstances meant that certain options were no longer available, which is sad.

“However, I am currently exploring a number of new opportunities, both inside and outside of rugby, and my family is very excited about the future.

“If I don’t get the chance to run at Franklin’s Gardens again, I want to thank my teammates, coaches and supporters here at Saints for everything they have done for me in recent years.

“Playing in the gardens has always been a great experience and I look forward to hopefully coming back in the future.”

Gibson was one of just a handful of players to cross the East Midlands from rival Leicester Tigers and put on a Saints jersey – and he repeatedly proved to be a scourge of his former team, scoring two goals for Northampton in derby clashes.

In December 2018, he competed for the 100th for the Saints against Worcester Warriors.

The club’s rugby director, Chris Boyd, added; “There is a possibility that Jamie will return if we suffer a number of injuries. However, if he played his last game, we wish him and his family good luck and luck for the future.

“Jamie was a fantastic servant to the Northampton Saints. He is a shining example of what it means to be a professional. Jamie has given his all every time he wears a black, green and gold shirt, and the consistency of his performance in recent years is proof of that. “